Month: August 2010

Karate bunkai for the kata, Heian/Pinan Godan (or Pyung Ahn Oh Dan for Tang Soo Do). Here we take a look at the sequence near the end of the kata, with of course a look at similar Kung Fu moves which gives us some more possible kata bunkai. We hope you enjoy our video.

Coming up on Sunday 19th September is Kevin O’Hagan’s Edged Weapons Defence Seminar. I’ve only trained with Kevin once before on his Manstoppers Course, but for real world self protection practicality, Kevin has to be one of the best in the UK. Although he is primarily JuJutsu based, I’ve always felt that learning JuJutsu is like doing a Karate bunkai class (that is not meant in a condescending manner to JuJutsu as I have a lot of respect the art).

A number of the techniques I learned on the Manstoppers course fit hand in glove with my Karate and I thoroughly recommend it to any Karate/TKD/Kung Fu practitioner who wants to learn more about how to use their own art in a practical manner. If you look carefully, you will usually find that some techniques taught look surprisingly similar to some movements in your katas/patterns/forms that you maybe had not found a practical use for before.

TOPICS TO BE COVERED;

VITAL DISTANCING AND TACTICAL POSITIONING

TYPES OF EDGED WEAPON AND CONCEALMENT AND CARRY

TYPES OF ATTACK

VITAL POINTS

AVOIDANCE AND ESCAPE

FIGHTING BACK

OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE TECHNIQUES

TREATING A KNIFE WOUND

The course is from 11.00am to 3.00pm at the Bristol Dojo, 74-78 Avon Street, St Philip’s, BS2 OPX. Cost £25.00. To book your place contact Jake O’Hagan on 07789865284 or jakeohagan@ymail.com.

Here’s a video clip of Kevin in action. As mentioned above, if Karate/TKD/Kung Fu practitioners look closely, you should recognise some movements from your own katas/forms/patterns. The video clip is not in the “teaching format” that I prefer for this blog, but you have a look at what this brilliant teacher has to offer you on the course.

Here’s a video response to Charlie and Keith’s last video showing a Karate and similar Kung Fu techniques. Their video reminded me a lot of a very well known move from Yang style Tai Chi, so here’s a video showing how we use it.

Here we take a look at one of the movements from Hangetsu kata (formally known as Seishan). Karate is usually looked at as being linear and Kung Fu as being predominantly circular. However, the technique that we look at below is performed in a circular manor in the kata, but when we look at similar Kung Fu movements, they are performed in a linear manner. As per usual, there is more in common than there is different.

Here we take a look at the opening sequence of the most basic kata of all, Kihon Kata (TKD/TSD: Il Jang, Chon Ji, Ki Cho Hyung Il Bu). Normally explained as turn to your left and block a front kick followed by stepping and punching; then turn to your rear to block another front kick followed by a step and punch. However, this only works if the kicker aims the kick to stop short. If they actually try to kick you, then the only way you can block their kick with a lower block is to step back (not forward), otherwise the distance is all wrong.

So here we look at some different bunkai (applications) for this sequence.

Note: What I did forget to say in the video is that having taken the opponent off-balance with the first move, you should have the back of their head facing you, which means that you can take advantage of the prime target at the base of the skull on the back of the head. This is one of the prime points for knocking the opponent unconscious. Use this point with caution as it is potentially dangerous.